"She has a MESSAGE....DONT DO WHAT I DID!! Its a good message to tell to young girls. MORE PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK ABOUT IT!!"

Dear young girls:

Don't get pregnant in high school, or you might have to write a book, appear on Oprah & The View, guest star on television shows and receive $30K per speaking engagement.

Thanks, Bristol

As a man who has raised three young women to adulthood, none of whom became pregnant, I think I have some idea how the mind of impressionable adolescents and tweens work. That is exactly how they'll hear anything Bristol Palin says.

Children of politicians should be seen (rarely) and heard, never. At least until such time as they have a body of work, a record and some accomplishment; some bona fides beyond the fact that they're the children of someone famous - BEFORE, they speak about anything publicly.

Perhaps she’ll talk about her near mistake of marrying a Play Girl centerfold. I’d love to see her making hundreds of thousands of dollars while Levy finds himself dumped by the liberals. Like the DNC said about Arlen Spector that I heard on the radio (to paraphrase), “We got what we wanted from him and it was worth the money.”

Sample from a Bristol interview (I think it speaks for itself, although I also think her word choice and emphasis will evolve in one direction or another if she is going to speak professionally); long but readable:

VAN SUSTEREN: Bristol, thank you for sitting down and talking with us.

BRISTOL PALIN, SARAH PALIN’S DAUGHTER: Thanks for letting me be here.

VAN SUSTEREN: Your life has changed rather significantly. Actually, starting last August was a big event in your family’s life, and now you’re a new mother.

BRISTOL: Yes. It was chaotic in August, but I’m excited to be a mom.

VAN SUSTEREN: When was your son born?

BRISTOL: He was born December 27.

VAN SUSTEREN: How is he?

BRISTOL: He is awesome. He’s very, very, very cute.

VAN SUSTEREN: Are you getting any sleep?

BRISTOL: No. I’m exhausted!

(LAUGHTER)

VAN SUSTEREN: You’re exhausted.

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: What’s the night like? What — tell me about the sleep.

BRISTOL: Well, it just varies every night, I guess. But he’s up pretty much about half of the night, I guess.

VAN SUSTEREN: That is a switch.

BRISTOL: Yes. It’s a lot different than just sleeping all night.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is this what you expected?

BRISTOL: I don’t know if it’s what I expected, but — it’s just a lot different.

VAN SUSTEREN: You had no hint of this, sort of the demands of being a new mother.

BRISTOL: Well, it’s not just the baby that’s hard. It’s just, like, I’m not living for myself anymore. It’s, like, for another person, so it’s different.

VAN SUSTEREN: If you and I were talking a year ago and I said, What do you think’s going to happen in your life, what do you think you would have told me?

BRISTOL: I honestly have no idea because I never would have thought I would have been a mom and I never would have thought my mom was going to be chosen for vice president.

VAN SUSTEREN: So this was, obviously, a huge, unexpected event.

BRISTOL: Yes. Definitely.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is it good?

BRISTOL: Yes, it is. Very good. I like being a mom. I love it.

VAN SUSTEREN: Why?

BRISTOL: Just, like, seeing him smile and stuff. It just — it’s awesome.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, you’re young.

BRISTOL: Very young, yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: And so some people think it’s — you know, that for a young person, it’s particularly challenging.

BRISTOL: It is very challenging, but it’s so rewarding.

VAN SUSTEREN: Take me back to a year ago, when you first discovered you were going to be a mother. You — I imagine you had to tell your parents.

BRISTOL: Yes, which was, like, harder than labor.

VAN SUSTEREN: OK, where — when did you tell them?

BRISTOL: Well, we were sitting on the couch, my best friend and Levi, and we had my parents come and sit on the couch, too. And we had my sisters go upstairs. And we just sat them down, and I just — I couldn’t even say it. I was just sick to my stomach. And so finally, my best friend just, like, blurted it out. And it was just, like — I don’t even remember it because it was just, like, something I don’t want to remember.

VAN SUSTEREN: Levi was there, as well?

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: What was the reaction of your mother and your father?

BRISTOL: They were scared just because I have to — I had to grow up a lot faster than they ever would have imagined.

VAN SUSTEREN: In my family, telling my mother things would draw a different reaction than telling my father things — draw a different reaction. Did they react the same way?

BRISTOL: Yes, they did. They were just — I had a lot of growing up to do.

VAN SUSTEREN: And I imagine they had some guidance for you, or some thought.

BRISTOL: Yes, they just wanted us to sit down and make a game plan, like, what we were going to do and stuff.

VAN SUSTEREN: Had you told Levi’s family?

BRISTOL: No, not yet.

VAN SUSTEREN: When did that come about?

BRISTOL: That came about probably, like, the following day.

VAN SUSTEREN: And how did that go over?

BRISTOL: Well, his mom was — she was scared for us, too. Just we needed to sit down and make a game plan. But she was excited. We were all excited for the baby, of course.

VAN SUSTEREN: I take it this wasn’t planned.

BRISTOL: No, not all.

VAN SUSTEREN: Any sort of — I mean — and I realize, you know, what joy a child brings to a family. But was there any sort of thinking that maybe — did you have any sort of sense about, I wish that maybe this would happen a year or two from now, rather than now?

BRISTOL: Yes. Of course. I wished it would have happened in, like, 10 years so I could have a job and an education and be, like, prepared and have my own house and stuff. But he brings so much joy, I don’t regret it at all. I just wish it would have happened in 10 years, rather than right now.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know, it always is sort of a difficult thing, you know, when it’s a question of youth, and no one ever really knows what to say to a young person in your situation.

BRISTOL: Yes. I don’t know. I just — I hope that people learn from my story and just, like, I don’t know, prevent teen pregnancy, I guess.

VAN SUSTEREN: What happened at school?

BRISTOL: I was — it was during summer and school had just gotten out, so I just knew that I had to finish up high school and focus on getting an education.

VAN SUSTEREN: You know — you know, we all learned about it in August or so, after — and the media, I guess, dogged you a little bit.

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: What was your reaction to that?

BRISTOL: I mostly just didn’t pay attention to it because my family’s strong and it doesn’t matter what the — like, what tabloids say or anything like that.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you read any of the tabloids?

BRISTOL: I’ve seen some of them, and I think people out there are just evil because they don’t know what was going on at all.

VAN SUSTEREN: What didn’t anybody get? What didn’t people understand?

BRISTOL: That — there’s a lot of things. They thought that, like, my mom was going to make me have the baby, and it was my choice to have the baby. And it’s just — that kind of stuff just bothered me.

VAN SUSTEREN: And in terms of your mother making you have the baby, I mean, the whole issue of, I guess, the right — the right to life and choice and things like that.

BRISTOL: Yes. Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: But this is your issue. This is your decision.

BRISTOL: Yes. And would have — doesn’t matter what my mom’s views are on it. It was my decision, and I wish people would realize that, too.

VAN SUSTEREN: So throughout the fall, for the campaign, was it difficult for you in any particular way because you were having a child or not?

BRISTOL: Not really, I don’t think.

VAN SUSTEREN: What about Levi? How is taking all this?

BRISTOL: Well, he’s a really hands-on dad. He’s just in love with him as much as I am.

VAN SUSTEREN: Does he — how often does he see his son?

BRISTOL: He sees him every day.

VAN SUSTEREN: What are your plans?

BRISTOL: Eventually, we’d like to get married. We’re focusing on, like, getting through school and just getting an education and stuff, getting a career going.

VAN SUSTEREN: It’s tough — I mean, it’s, like, you get — I mean, it’s tough to do the school, do the planning. You’re a new mother. You know, I can’t imagine, you know, sort of the overwhelming nature of it right now.

BRISTOL: Yes, it’s very overwhelming.

VAN SUSTEREN: What — what’s your mother’s role now with the child? Does she — I mean, do you take care of the child? Does your mother? I mean, who’s really handling this right now?

BRISTOL: Well, I take care of him all the time. The only time I don’t take care of him is when I’m at school. But my mom and my whole family — I just am so blessed to have them because they help out a lot, more than I would have ever imagined, I guess.

BRISTOL: Yes. I think I’m — that’s, like, the — I’m blessed with a huge family that just everyone helps out.

VAN SUSTEREN: Have any idea how to raise a child?

BRISTOL: Yes because I’ve been baby-sitting my whole life, so it’s not just the baby part of it that’s hard. It’s just realizing that I’m not living for myself anymore, I’m living for another human being.

VAN SUSTEREN: What does he do now?

BRISTOL: He smiles and giggles and coos.

VAN SUSTEREN: And when you walk into the room, he sees you, he gives you a big grin?

BRISTOL: Yes, if he’s not tired or grumpy.

(LAUGHTER)

VAN SUSTEREN: And do you get tired and grumpy?

BRISTOL: Oh, yes, I do!

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you ever feel like, This is just too much for me, or not?

BRISTOL: There’s been times that I’ve thought that, but — it’s just — it’s a load of work, but I’m just thankful that he’s healthy and he’s happy.

VAN SUSTEREN: When you say there’s a lot of work, is it just that it’s just every couple hours, and it’s, like, you’ve always got to be feeding and watching the child?

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is that what you mean by the work?

BRISTOL: Yes. And just you’re up all night. And it’s not glamorous at all. Like, your whole priorities change after having a baby.

VAN SUSTEREN: Teen pregnancy — what’s your thought on that?

BRISTOL: I think everyone should just wait 10 years.

VAN SUSTEREN: That’s just — why?

BRISTOL: Just because it’s so much easier if you’re married and if you have a house and a career and — it’s just so much easier.

VAN SUSTEREN: What do your parents say about teen pregnancy?

BRISTOL: It’s not something to strive for, I guess. It’s just — I don’t know. I’m not the first person that it’s happened to and I’m not going to be the last. But I don’t know. I’d love for — to be an advocate to prevent teen pregnancy because it’s not, like, a situation that you want to strive for, I guess.

VAN SUSTEREN: Your parents know you’re doing this interview. You’re 18, so you make your own decisions, but do they know?

BRISTOL: I told my mom yesterday, so...

VAN SUSTEREN: That was good timing, yesterday.

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: You don’t give them much notice, do you, advance notice.

BRISTOL: No.

(LAUGHTER)

VAN SUSTEREN: So you spring it on her yesterday that you’re going to do this interview and that it — it involves the changes in your life, issues about teen pregnancy, and it’s just — she’s not surprised that you did this.

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: You all seem to be sort of independent in your family.

BRISTOL: Yes, we are very independent.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So today is the big day of the race.

BRISTOL: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you know what — how your father’s doing? Have you been following it?

BRISTOL: He’s in sixth place right now.

VAN SUSTEREN: Levi here?

BRISTOL: No, he’s not. He’s working.

VAN SUSTEREN: What’s he doing now?

BRISTOL: He’s helping his dad out and finishing up his schooling.

VAN SUSTEREN: Does he have any sort of — does he feel the same way you feel about teen pregnancy and have some sort of — Well, maybe a good idea to wait usually, unless things happen?

BRISTOL: Yes. He feels the same way I do. We both just — kids should just wait. It’s — I don’t know. It’s not glamorous at all.

VAN SUSTEREN: I don’t want to pry to personally, but I mean, actually, contraception is an issue here. Is that something that you were just lazy about or not interested, or do you have a philosophical or religious opposition to it or...

BRISTOL: No. I don’t want to get into detail about that. But I think abstinence is, like — like, the — I don’t know how to put it — like, the main — everyone should be abstinent or whatever, but it’s not realistic at all.

She's speaking to young women about NOT making the same mistake she made. She's been working hard, since her son's birth, and she's letting the girls know how hard they will have to work, if they make similar choices.

I hope she'll reach some young women who may not listen to older folks, and if she makes some money to help her raise that little boy while doing so, all the better.

Bristol just talking sounds like a borefest. Now if she has some fly girls bouncing around, or learns some magic tricks/illusions or maybe some ventriloquism, a little pole-dancing maybe, it might be worth a ticket.
Otherwise what does she say: `Don’t make the tragic mistake I made or you might pull down more in an hour just chatting—you know, like texting but talking, stuff teenage girls hate to do: yak, yak, yak—than your parents make all year.’?

39
posted on 05/18/2010 6:31:16 PM PDT
by tumblindice
(Sure, listen to a 19 year old girl BS for an hour on public policy, world issues and American Idol?)

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